Pune Hosts G20 National Conference on ‘Foundational Literacy and Numeracy’ as a Pre-cursor to 4th Education Working Group Meeting
Pune, 18th June,2023
The day-2 of National Conference on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy was held today in Pune. The conference was organized to bring together the representatives of all the States & UTs, and experts in different fields to discuss ‘Capacity building and training of teachers in blended mode’.
The event was also graced, Shri Sanjay Kumar, Secretary, Department of School Education, Prof. Suresh Gosavi, Vice Chancellor, Savitribai Phule Pune University and several senior officials of the Ministry of Education and State Education Departments.
Speaking on the occasion, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Education, Lamchonghoi Sweety Changsan, spoke about NISHTHA – National Initiative for School Heads’ and Teachers’ Holistic Advancement, launched in 2019, which was extended to Foundational Literacy and Numeracy and secondary level, in 2021-22, covering 35 lakh Pre-primary, Primary and Secondary level teachers with a focus on improvement in quality of teachers and learning outcomes of students.
She also mentioned the National Curriculum Framework (NCF) for the Foundational Stage, released on 20th October 2022 to strengthen the approach from the pedagogical perspective. The framework aims to provide a systemic common base and enable standardized, grade-wise learning outcomes across the country.
She highlighted the blended form of learning which methodologically combines the traditional approach and online learning to enhance the learning experience, maximize effectiveness and increase the reach of education. For blended learning to become sustainable, she added, it is imperative that teachers are well-equipped with the skills, knowledge, and pedagogical approaches to adapt to the changes and are able to implement blended teaching methods effectively.
Prof. Suresh Gosavi, shed light on the FLN exhibition currently being organized, in which G20 countries, Indian states, corporates, International agencies, autonomous bodies, and civil society organisations are displaying their work. He stressed that the exhibition is showcasing some of the best practices where all the stakeholders are deploying to achieve the FLN targets in a time-bound manner. He also added that that such forums provide an opportunity for our collective growth with no problem ever being solved in isolation.
The States of Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh presented an impressive showcase of Foundational Literacy and Numeracy practices of respective states. Archana Sharma Awasthi, Joint Secretary, School Education proposed the vote of thanks, expressing gratitude to all the members involved in the functioning of the day’s events.